A friend had recently traveled all the way to Dehradun to do a course on organic farming for a month. While there, she took to exploring the farm grounds and the bordering thickets with a roommate. It was a delightful 2 hour long walk through the beautiful shaded and dense woods.. and then they stumbled across some local men. Noting the women were not from those parts, the men asked them if they were from the farm and very readily offered to escort them with an easier and alternative direction back to the farm. My friend firmly declined their help and turned back and walked a few steps and then they ran. The beauty and isolation of the woods was suddenly terrifying. They completed the 2 hour one-way walk in a 45 minutes sprint.
"No matter how much we resist it and hate its being so, the fact is this is a man's world", she told me later.
Tell me about it! :)
Being a Trivandrum-ite one evening I had taken out my sister-in-law and 2.5 year old nephew to the Shangumugham beach which is just about 10 km from where I live. We were on the lawn and I was happily watching my nephew sprout wings and fly. We let him run around happily, feeling euphoric and free till we came across a group of men watching us with alert interest...2 women on their own with an infant. The time was around 5:00 pm.., it was a crowded place... and our car was parked in our sight and yet we felt persecuted and threatened. We slowly began to pull away to the other side of the ground and by 5:45, we left.
Someone asked me recently whether I travel alone, exploring places. I would love to.. but I dont have a choice... not here.. as a woman. Should I be cribbing about the men who have it all easy? In spirit, we are all the same.. There are times when we as women too feel smothered by monotony or tough times or we just want a break and we would like a pleasant diversion... maybe a small trip.. maybe a long drive.. maybe just going to a nice quiet spot and resting under a shade, curled up on the earth.. something. But, our plans always depend on the family. Going out alone is never an option. Frankly, we all live under the persecution complex... and reading the papers, we are happy to be dominated by this all-pervading fear.
Youtube videos that show women being harassed in public places with nobody lifting a finger to help... and should I travel alone in this country? No.. thank you!
"No matter how much we resist it and hate its being so, the fact is this is a man's world", she told me later.
Tell me about it! :)
Being a Trivandrum-ite one evening I had taken out my sister-in-law and 2.5 year old nephew to the Shangumugham beach which is just about 10 km from where I live. We were on the lawn and I was happily watching my nephew sprout wings and fly. We let him run around happily, feeling euphoric and free till we came across a group of men watching us with alert interest...2 women on their own with an infant. The time was around 5:00 pm.., it was a crowded place... and our car was parked in our sight and yet we felt persecuted and threatened. We slowly began to pull away to the other side of the ground and by 5:45, we left.
Someone asked me recently whether I travel alone, exploring places. I would love to.. but I dont have a choice... not here.. as a woman. Should I be cribbing about the men who have it all easy? In spirit, we are all the same.. There are times when we as women too feel smothered by monotony or tough times or we just want a break and we would like a pleasant diversion... maybe a small trip.. maybe a long drive.. maybe just going to a nice quiet spot and resting under a shade, curled up on the earth.. something. But, our plans always depend on the family. Going out alone is never an option. Frankly, we all live under the persecution complex... and reading the papers, we are happy to be dominated by this all-pervading fear.
Youtube videos that show women being harassed in public places with nobody lifting a finger to help... and should I travel alone in this country? No.. thank you!
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